John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of Independence Ms. Coll. 621 Finding aid prepared by Holly Mengel (collection processed before 2013). Last updated on September 23, 2020. University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts 2020 June 17 John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 4 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................5 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 6 - Page 2 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Summary Information Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Creator Hale, John Mills, 1839-1894 Title John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of Independence Call number Ms. Coll. 621 Date [inclusive] 1736-1824 Extent 0.66 linear foot (2 boxes) Language English Abstract This collection consists of a complete set of autographs of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Cite as: John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1736-1824, Ms. Coll. 621, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania - Page 3 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Biography/History John Mills Hale was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania in 1839. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1862 and practiced as a lawyer. He was an avid collector of autographs, letters, and other historical documents from the era of the American Revolution. He died in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania in 1894. Scope and Contents This collection consists of a complete set of autographs of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. It also includes prints and engravings, which depict either a portrait of a signer and/or a view of his domicile. The set of portraits is not complete. Administrative Information University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts 2020 June 17 Finding aid prepared by Holly Mengel (collection processed before 2013). Access Restrictions This collection is open for research use. Use Restrictions Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. - Page 4 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Source of Acquisition Bequest of John Mills Hale, 1894; received 1906. Controlled Access Headings Form/Genre(s) • Autographs (manuscripts) • Correspondence • Financial records • Government records • Legal documents Geographic Name(s) • United States--History--1783-1865 • United States--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 • United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783 Subject(s) • Political science - Page 5 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Collection Inventory Box Folder Adams, John, 1735-1826, a United States diplomatic agent in Europe, 1 2 letter to Henrik Calkoen, an Amsterdam jurist, the last of 26 letters written in an effort to explain the origins, progress, and nature of the American Revolution to the Dutch people; describes the effect of the loss of Charleston and the defeat of Gates upon the American people (1 item), 1780 October 27. Adams, Samuel, 1722-1803, tax collector for Boston, receipt acknowledging 1 3 the payment of Samuel Gridley's 1760 taxes, received and signed by Adams (1 item), 1762 March 8. Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795, an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of 1 4 New Hampshire, correspondence with John Scribner, the attorney acting on behalf of Joshua Abbot of Poplin, New Hampshire, relating to a complaint about a "certain negro fellow, James or Jem Nokes," who was accused of stealing a yoke of oxen from another resident of Rockingham County, Abbot; includes Bartlett's notes, on the back, for the trial which found Nokes not guilty of the charges (1 item), 1784 December 10-14. Braxton, Carter, 1736-1797, Virginia planter whose fortune was largely 1 5 depleted during the Revolution, letter to Benjamin Harrison, governor of Virginia, thanking him for altering the manner in which Braxton was required to make certain payments and asking him to fix the price of tobacco (1 item), 1783 June 24. - Page 6 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... Carroll, Charles, 1737-1832, formerly a Maryland senator, letter to Virgil 1 6 Maxey, Maryland statesman, regarding Maxey's failure to send to Carroll a bond worth {dollar}1500 to his estate (1 items), 1824 July 15. Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811, justice in the district of Baltimore, letter to 1 7 William Smallwood, governor of Maryland, regarding a Mr. Russell's application to relieve his debt, which Chase believes to be "just and reasonable" (1 item), 1788 September 6. Clark, Abraham, 1726-1794, legal document stating that Abraham Clark, 1 8 an attorney in New Jersey, and Aaron Clark served as witnesses in a pledge of 328 pounds to Benjamin Bonnell of Elizabeth, New Jersey, from John Clawson, Jacob Crane, and William Peirson of the same town; document is signed by Abraham Clark, Aaron Clark, Clawson, Crane, and Peirson; Benjamin Bonnell notes (with signature) the ongoing payments of his debtors from July 1769 to July 1771 on the back (1 item), 1769 April 4-1771 July 25. Clymer, George, 1739-1813, president of the Philadelphia Bank, letter to 1 9 George Simpson, cashier for the Bank of the United States regarding a transaction of 480 dollars (1 item), 1805 January 2. Ellery, William, 1727-1820, first customs collector for the port in Newport, 1 10 Rhode Island, letter to LeRoy Bayard and M. Evers, New York merchants, refuting a notation error for a shipment of pipes and casks of wine to come through his port. The error, he argues, did not occur at his port, but at the New York port. Also included is a brief printed biography of Ellery and - Page 7 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... the auction listing for this manuscript, labeled "very neat" (2 items), 1806 October 4. Floyd, William, 1734-1821, letter to John Ingraham, including letters and 1 11 orders for payment to be delivered to men who owed money to Floyd, who was representing New York at the Continental Congress (1 item), 1780 October 30. Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790, letter to Richard Neave, a merchant, 1 12 confirming that Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan, the firm that evaluated his land, conducted a fair survey (1 item), 1767 January 27. Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814, governor of Massachusetts, letter to Charles 1 13 Bigelow, discounting a former employee's claim of not being paid, by stating that Gerry and his family found receipts proving the payment of this employee (1 item), 1810 December 13?. Gwinnett, Button, planter in Georgia, circa 1735-1777, legal document 1 14 pledging 14,365 pounds to John Neufville, merchant of Charlestown, South Carolina; signed, sealed, and delivered by Edward Neufville; includes John Neufville's notes on payment installments from Gwinnett, the signatures of John Neufville and his attorney William Houstoun, and three brief, printed biographies of Gwinnett (2 items), 1774 July 8. Hall, Lyman, 1724-1790. a physician in Georgia at St. John's parish, 1 15 letter to Mary McPherson, recognizing her as the executioner of William - Page 8 - John Mills Hale collection of letters, autographs, and images of the signers of the Declaration of I... McPherson's (her deceased husband) last will and testament (1 items), 1761? February 14. Hancock, John, 1737-1793, statesman in Massachusetts, , letter to 1 16 John Watts, In this letter from Massachusetts commissioners Hancock, Brattle and Hawley, they attempting to draw up an agreement with New York commissioners Watts, Smith, Livingston, and Nicholls over the Massachusetts/New York property boundaries for the Massachusetts Bay. (1 item), 1773 May 14. Harrison, Benjamin, circa 1726-1791, Speaker of the House, letter to 1 17 Thomas Jefferson, governor of Virginia, alerting him that "three hundred of the enemy" had landed at Sandy Point in Virginia (1 item), 1781 October 11. Hart, John, 1711?-1779, legal document